I am wondering what people think about splenda?? My friend recently sent me an article that splenda is made with the chlorine you use in your pool to clear it up. Also the marketing that is comes from sugar is false. She has been telling me that all my stomach issues and the reason I can not loose any weight is splenda. I generally only use the liq kind. What is everyone thought about both for our health and weight loss.

I am not sure if it is a matter of Splenda as "good" or "bad". If you eat Splenda in the abusive way many people have eaten sugar then it is certainly bad. If people ate real sugar in the way they eat Splenda (a few packets per day) then they wouldnt have the same issues they have with sugar to begin with.

People choose splenda because it is a sugar substitute that often does not raise ones blood sugar (so may be a better choice for diabetics) and often does not cause cravings for sugar the way real sugar does. For some people , the "taste" of sweet is enough to do so. YMMV

For me, I only take it with coffee. If I choose to eat something sweet , I prefer either fruit or a small amount of real sugar. For me, I prefer to eat something real. I do not have diabetics nor metabolism issues.

I choose not to use any artificial sweeteners as like the above poster, if I want something sweet I have real sugar. I am a huge fan of 85% dark chocolate to get my sugars fix. I used to drink diet pop but stopped about a year ago and do notice a difference. For me, they made me hungry and gave me headaches. I just think real food is better for us.

I use splenda. For me, it is the best tasting sweetener. I use it to make pumpkin bake. I use it to make mock danish. I don't drink coffee. It has never stalled me. Matter of fact, when I crave anything sweet, it takes care of it for me. I don't use it everyday or even a whole lot, but I do use it.

Do you eat sugar free candy? Anything that has Maltitol in it really messes my stomach up. I can eat small amounts every now and then, but one time I took sugar free gummy bears to my sons football game, ate the entire little bag, and I was a wreck!!! I could not get to the bathroom fast enough.

I do know that there are a lot of lc recipes that include splenda in it. I don't know if those tried and true recipes would still be around if they stalled people. But, everyone's body is different. Maybe try omitting it for a week or so and see how that works? But, then again, if you haven't lost weight in a while, you might be due for a swoosh at teh same time and end up with a false result from omitting splenda.

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Dr. Michael Eades (co-author of Protein Power) has an excellent blog and he tackled this subject in a post several years ago. If you google his blog and search for his article entitled "Splenda Misinformation", it'll come right up. I'm sure it'll put your fears at rest. Hope this helps!

I have used Splenda in my coffee throughout my weight loss. I always counted 1 packet as 1 carb (and used two packets per cup). I can drink anywhere from one to five cups a day. I recently switched to the liquid form to save the carbs.

No I'll effects, hasn't stalled my weight loss, but YMMV.

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Proud member of the 110 Pound Club"Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans."- John Lennon

Sucralose is chlorinated sugar, yes. But the process of chlorination in this case basically makes a compound so inert that about 80% of it passes through your body without being broken apart. And the amount equal to two teaspoons of sugar is so tiny that it fits easily in one drop of liquid. You are getting less sucralose in a two teaspoon unit than you'd be getting of nutrasweet. Not much reaction happening. You are not getting more chlorine from it than from anything else you eat. They are not using pool type chlorine or a chlorine gas. You are just excreting most of it, whole. Any reaction is with the bulking agent (maltodextrin), which is where the funny taste comes from as well.

It has been studied extensively for years. It is not going to hurt you unless you are unusually sensitive or you eat fistfuls of the pure sucralose powder, which might give you indgestion. The worst thing that happened in an animal study seems to have been a reduction in gut flora that has not been repeatable in humans. The recent human study about it was tiny and poorly designed and proved nothing but that sugar makes your blood sugar higher.

I have used liquid splenda as my primary sweetener for about a dozen years now, and I have no plans to stop. I don't use huge amounts, but that's because I don't have a sweet tooth, not because I'm worried about it.

I prefer sweetzfree of all the versions I've tried over the years, so that's what I've been buying for several years. I've even turned many other people onto it, people who aren't low carbing, aren't diabetic, just appreciate a non-sugar option that has no weird taste.

Do I think it's fabulously healthy? No. Nor do I think it's fabulously unhealthy. I view it as a healthier option for me than sugar, and more palatable than stevia.

Now, I will say that I avoid the packaged powdered version. I see no need to ingest extra fillers, carbs, or maltodextrin on a regular basis.

I think it's a choice. You do the best you can. I have a brother-in-law who can taste it in foods. He won't eat them or use it. I use to use it all the time. The powder is not carb free. I have switched to liquid stevia, Xylitol and Erythritol. Again, it's what you can live with it...

As far as 'stomach' issues, that could be a sensitivity to something else, wheat, diary, soy.. Those are the common culprits..

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It's good if you like it and it's bad if you don't, I think it really boils down to that. Many people have bought into the scare tactics about sucralose. I've read extensively about it, including the above reference to Dr. Eades' blog article on it (and I really like him, I think he has a lot of common sense) and I continue to use it.

I use the liquid versions for the most part, and I still have a hoarded supply of the Splenda QuickPacks which were discontinued a couple years ago. One packet of that equals a cup of sugar with very little maltodextrin to bulk it out, so very few carbs. A cup of the granular "measures like sugar" Splenda = 24 carbs, all due to the bulking agents. The liquid has very little to no carbs, because of no use of maltodextrin. The quickpacks have 4 carbs per packet. I wish they'd remarket those!

Jennifer Eloff, one of our great low-carb baking gurus, has been using Splenda exclusively for many years, including her kids eating it while growing up, and none of them has sprouted an extra eye or any other malady from its ingestion.

Unless you're eating Stevia in its leaf form, it's STILL processed and most likely bulked up with some form of filler. Same is true for erythritol and xylitol, which while derived from natural substances, still have to undergo SOME sort of process to become usable for our sweetening purposes.

So I guess it's all about "picking your poison" so to speak! Do your research and then decide what YOU are willing to ingest. For me, Splenda is A-OK.

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and I still have a hoarded supply of the Splenda QuickPacks which were discontinued a couple years ago. One packet of that equals a cup of sugar with very little maltodextrin to bulk it out, so very few carbs. A cup of the granular "measures like sugar" Splenda = 24 carbs, all due to the bulking agents. The liquid has very little to no carbs, because of no use of maltodextrin. The quickpacks have 4 carbs per packet. I wish they'd remarket those!

My guess would be because they were marketed as something to add to Koolaid to make a 2 quart pitcher of soft drink.

Now if they'd market them again, and target the fact that it's equal to a cup of sugar, and is perfect for baking sugarfree treats, or jams and jellies (my fave use!) - I bet they could make a go of it. Maybe we should all suggest it to them!

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It's easy to be miserable. Being happy takes more work. ~~from Ondine, the movie~~

I don't like the after taste that Splenda leaves in my mouth. I prefer the liquid Stevia which is a natural sweetner.

well... yes and no. Stevia from the leaves that have been dried and ground to a fine powder are a natural sweetener and have a green colour. A liquid version would be made liquid by dissolving this powder in a carrier like vodka or something similar.

Any stevia that is white powder or a colourless liquid has been processed and so is not natural as such anymore. It is derived from nature, but so are many other things.

With regards to sweeteners, anyone choosing to add them to their WOE has to consider for themselves what they find important or not.

Personally, I have stopped using all artificial sweeteners, and only very rarely use ground dried stevia leaf (I buy it at my health food store). I still find I get cravings for sweet things when I eat sweetened foods. For me, berries are very sweet now, and I eat them only rarely too!

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I posted a similar threat about this awhile ago because I was trying to tweak and start losing again. Ntombi and others recommended I switch to a liquid version. I switched and started losing again (slowly). I may have underestimated the carb count, I may have had an intolerance but something helped and I don't notice the difference

Splenda is just chlorinated sugar. Ie. it has a chlorine ion added to the sugar molecule so that your body doesn't recognize it as food. It passes through your body, or in some people it is dealt with in mysterious ways which is what the issues have been in some people, but that won't happen if you aren't using it in massive quantities. If it does break down, it will just end up being sugar with a free floating chlorine ion and your body uses those things anyways, so they aren't toxic. For most people small amounts of splenda wouldn't cause any major issues at all.

Are you concerned by "Splenda/artificial sweetener" or "Splenda the newest monster on the block"?

I gave up all AS back in January because I found they did have an affect on my blood glucose (as many studies are now beginning to show). In the last couple of months, now that my diabetes is under control, I've used Splenda a couple times with no problem *except* it kind of left me with cravings and not for sugar, but for pasta, breads, etc.

As the 'monster on the block', eh...depends on how you feel about things made in a lab. Personally, I worry more about the dimwit next door who has ChemLawn come out twice a year to dose his lawn down when everyone in this area has wells and our water table is shallow. So pick your poison.

Are you concerned by "Splenda/artificial sweetener" or "Splenda the newest monster on the block"?

I gave up all AS back in January because I found they did have an affect on my blood glucose (as many studies are now beginning to show). In the last couple of months, now that my diabetes is under control, I've used Splenda a couple times with no problem *except* it kind of left me with cravings and not for sugar, but for pasta, breads, etc.

As the 'monster on the block', eh...depends on how you feel about things made in a lab. Personally, I worry more about the dimwit next door who has ChemLawn come out twice a year to dose his lawn down when everyone in this area has wells and our water table is shallow. So pick your poison.

Wow, that is really interesting that you found it brought cravings. I tried adding back small amounts of sugar and had problems with it raising my blood sugar too high so I switched to splenda. It didn't bring any cravings back in my case. I find the real sugar to be more problematic. I wonder if it has the potential to trigger on a psychological level. Apparently there is a digestible starch in it though, maybe that is what is causing it. It isn't completely calorie (carb) free. I think it is 1g carbs per serving which is 1 packet.

Apparently there is a digestible starch in it though, maybe that is what is causing it. It isn't completely calorie (carb) free. I think it is 1g carbs per serving which is 1 packet.

Punkin,
It may be due to being a diabetic...dunno. At first I thought it was the combination of splenda with cream cheese (as in cheesecake), but I've tried it in other things and always the same result...cravings.

The only way YOU will know if splenda causes you issues if you Detox off of it for a period of time (at least a month).

You'll get a million and one opinions as to whether it is good or bad, but nobody can definitively tell you what is best for you.

My advice? Detox off of splenda for a month. If you still have issues after that, then its time to look into other possible food issues.

(yes, a detox stinks! I can't have a lot of lc foods that others can indulge in. BUT...feeling better is SO much more important! Its nice to have finally identified my yeast allergy as now my skin isn't in daily pain.)

I have used Splenda. Despite claims of natural... none are to my way of thinking. Use the kind you prefer... use it sparing. Try to learn to be satisfied with slightly less sweet. In the end, there are way bigger things to worry about.

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"Eat all you need to not be hungry, eat only what you need to not be hungry... eat on plan." Dr Atkins Diet Revolution @1972

"NO, I CAN'T EAT JUST ONE!" "Lead me not into carb temptation!"

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I have questioned whether or not artificial sweetners are good for me many times, but what I keep coming back to is that they're much better than eating white sugar... I'll take something that was designed in a lab to taste sweet rather than something that is much guaranteed to give me diabetes and weight gain.

There are no carbs in the liquid kind, that's what I use most and like the best, I don't think that would be stalling your weight loss... if you're still concerned about it's affects try not using it like others have said, or try stevia as a natural option

I keep the powdered version on hand, along with xylitol and erythritol and powdered stevia, to mix together on the rare occasions I bake (mixing sweeteners allows the sweetness without the negative characteristics of any one of them, like off flavors or slight insulin response, to come to the fore). But for my daily consumption in coffee and the occasional sweetened cream I use liquid stevia or sucralose and it works beautifully.

I have questioned whether or not artificial sweetners are good for me many times, but what I keep coming back to is that they're much better than eating white sugar... I'll take something that was designed in a lab to taste sweet rather than something that is much guaranteed to give me diabetes and weight gain.